Typical practical robots are industrial robots which are used in the manufacturing industry or the like. However, in recent years, humanoid robots capable of communicating with human beings are being made into products. Underlying this has been the progress of complicated techniques such as speech recognition, voice synthesis and the like. Also, a robot having high autonomy and availability in home can be realized by improvement in the functionality of audio-visual instruments and development of computer technology for effectively processing external information.
This type of a humanoid robot is usually capable of autonomously moving to a position required for following an instruction by a person with two legs or wheels. Furthermore, it is expected that a robot is capable of performing field works and activities alone.